The Rise of Yiddish Online

In Jewish Currents.

How could someone not know why they're in the hospital?

As it happens, I gave a talk on that topic today. It involves some ongoing research of mine. Have a look!

Miscellany (or: Dead animals; The Chinese Channel; MI and Racism)

I'm such a Mishnah nerd. Starting a new tractate gives me a rush. And I've never really learned Zevachim before. (Look, Zevachim 1:2 isn't paralleled in the Tosefta at all?!)

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Verizon FIOS didn't mean much to me until Celeste figured out that we now have Chinese TV. 很不錯！

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What are the factors associated with racial differences in myocardial infarction outcomes? They have more to do with baseline cardiac risk and hospital factors than with treatment received. So disparities - as we all thought, I guess? - are pretty far upstream. To put it crudely but not inaccurately: African-Americans are poorer, and their hearts are sicker, even before the first troponins are drawn.

Snackbag Poetry

Enemies run harum-scarum!
Today at last we have our Purim!
Tie the noose in several knots.
Joking: Excess. Drinking: Lots.

[Yiddish/Hebrew doggerel here.]

Things are looking up!

Just a couple of hours ago, while buying some Fritos, I heard the President of the United States say live on national TV, "There need to be more primary care physicians."

Sounds good to me!

Operator, can you please page the Surgeon General on call?

The name of neurosurgeon and health journalist Sanjay Gupta was leaked in early January as Barack Obama’s choice for Surgeon General. His selection has caused controversy, and the formal nomination seems to have been delayed by the search for a Secretary of Health and Human Services after the withdrawal of Tom Daschle. While we’re waiting for Gupta to be confirmed, we can ask: what exactly is the Surgeon General supposed to do, and in this administration whose watchword is change, can the office be more useful?

More in Clinical Correlations.